The Ellie McGill show
We all know the first ten minutes of Up are a masterclass in emotional devastation, but they also left Ellie as a bit of a ghost—a catalyst for Carl’s growth rather than a protagonist in her own right. Liz Braswell fixes that by grounding this story in a 1930s setting that feels lived-in and gritty. This isn't a whimsical flight in a balloon house; it’s a period-accurate adventure involving USO dances, small-town expectations, and a very real internship at a zoo.
By aging Ellie and Carl up to sixteen, the book manages to capture that specific friction of being a teenager with a world-sized ambition stuck in a town that wants you to just stay put. If your kid is currently vibrating with the need to "get out of this town," Ellie’s internal monologue will hit home.
Not your toddler’s Pixar
The Twisted Tale series has a reputation for taking the "Disney" out of Disney, and this entry is no different. Braswell leans into the "twisted" prompt by making the stakes physical. When Ellie decides to go on a rescue mission for a rare bird, she isn't just defying her parents—she’s risking her life in a way that feels more like Indiana Jones than a Sunday morning cartoon.
The relationship with Carl is the anchor here. Watching their dynamic shift from childhood best friends to something more "bubbling" (as the book puts it) provides the emotional weight. It’s a slow-burn romance that feels earned because we already know where they could end up. However, the tone is significantly heavier than the source material. If you’re wondering exactly how much "grit" to expect, check out our parent’s guide to Adventure Is Out There!: A Twisted Tale for the breakdown on the peril levels.
Who this is for
If your reader has moved on from middle-grade fiction but isn't quite ready for the nihilism of some modern YA, this is the sweet spot. It’s for the kid who:
- Loved the adventurous spirit of Enola Holmes.
- Obsesses over historical settings and "old-timey" aesthetics.
- Prefers a protagonist who is loud, impulsive, and occasionally wrong.
You can find the book at major retailers like Vroman's Bookstore or Parnassus Books. It’s a fast read, but it lingers longer than the average tie-in novel because it actually respects Ellie enough to let her be a complicated, sometimes frustrating person. It’s less about the destination (Paradise Falls) and more about the cost of being the person who actually tries to get there.